May 2022 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

Highlands County Farm Bureau is a highly respected organization throughout its local communities because of the exemplary efforts taken to care for those in need.  What started out as one simple idea has now made an enormous impact on local families in Sebring and the surrounding areas.

During the Highlands County Fair Livestock Auction this past February, Highlands County Farm Bureau announced a challenge to local businesses.  For every hog donated, they would cover all processing fees and donate the meat to families in need. Seven whole hogs were donated and sent to processing to be made into sausage.  Alan Jay Fleet Sales, Glades Electric Cooperative, Howard Fertilizer, Howerton Services, and M E Stephens & Sons Fruit Co. were among the local businesses who partnered on this worthy cause.

On March 18 Highlands County Farm Bureau, Heartland Food Bank & Feeding Tampa Bay hosted a food drop at the Highlands Community Church in Sebring.  700 pounds of sausage were given to local families in need in addition to other pantry staples.

Highlands County Farm Bureau is committed to giving back to its local communities and this effort is just one more example of their desire to serve others in meaningful ways.

Farmers Recognized for Environmental Stewardship

Eight farm families in the Suwannee River and Santa Fe River Basins will receive a coveted statewide award for their outstanding achievements in preserving land and water resources.

WHAT:  Recognition dinner and event for recipients of Florida Farm Bureau’s County Alliance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship (CARES) Award

WHO:  Eight farm families from the following counties:

Carl Allison, Allison Farms, Columbia County

Mark Elixson, Elixson Farms, Union County

Jim Fleming, Tropic Traditions, Inc., Alachua County

Rusty Huckabee, Huckabee Farms, Suwannee County

Wayne Lane, Lane Farms, Madison County

John Levi Vann, Vann Family Farms, Lafayette County

Van Whitehurst, Whitehurst Cattle Company, Levy County

BJ Wilkerson, Wilkerson Farms, Gilchrist County

WHEN:  Thursday, May 5, 2022 at 6 p.m.

WHERE:  UF/IFAS NFRC-Suwannee Valley, 8202 CR 417, Live Oak, Florida, 32060

May 2022 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

The Florida Farm Bureau’s state board of directors approved a $24,500 scholarship a year (for two years) to provide a student the opportunity to pursue a Bachelor’s in Agricultural Studies at Warner University.

“We are delighted to help students achieve their dreams as they pursue their agricultural career,” said Florida Farm Bureau President Jeb S. Smith. “It is a Farm Bureau tradition to support the next generation of agrarian leaders.”

This scholarship will help provide a student enrolled in the Ag program the opportunity to gain hands-on agricultural experience by managing the various aspects of the Swindle Ag complex on campus, including a citrus test plot, raised vegetable beds, chicken coops, welding and more.

Florida Farm Bureau has granted $40,000 in scholarships towards students’ tuition at Warner University over the past few years. It has been a regular supporter of the Apples of Gold women’s scholarship fund and the organization donated $25,000 towards the construction of the college’s Swindle Agriculture Complex in 2015.

The first recipient to be chosen for this scholarship and manager position is Payton Ogburn from Frostproof, Fla. After interviewing multiple students and reading through letters of recommendations and resumes, the committee at Warner chose Payton for his ability to think on the spot and work hard to get the job done, all while keeping up his grades.

“Warner University appreciates the partnership that Florida Farm Bureau has entered into with us,” says Leigh Ann Wynn, Asst. Vice President of Advancement at Warner. “Payton has already hit the ground running with his new position and the financial assistance is a real blessing to him.”

Warner University is a private, Christian college that has offer each year, Warner University awards student scholarships totaling more than $6.1 million, reducing their tuition fee by 35%.

Florida Farm Bureau Federation, the state’s largest general agricultural organization, represents more than 134,000 member-families. We serve to enhance farm enterprise and improve rural communities.

Jim Farley is a multi-generational cattle rancher from Clay County. He learned at a young age how to transform an essential job into a thriving and fulfilling career. Shortly after receiving his degree in Ranch Management from Texas Christian University and marrying the love of his life in 1969, Farley Cattle Company was born. During their 53 years of marriage, Jim and Jean have worked together to build a successful cattle, hay and timber business that spans more than 7,000 acres in North Florida.

Agriculture is part of Farley’s family heritage. Growing up in a ranching family, he has witnessed a change of times since he was a young boy. A volatile market and fencing laws enforced throughout the 1960’s made it difficult for family ranches to remain in business. Fortunately, Farley’s aspiration to start a ranching business was not deterred and he was able to begin his venture after college.

Farley’s favorite part about being a cattle rancher is the ability to work alongside his family.  His sons, Jody and Josh, joined the family business once they were old enough to rope and ride horses.

Each family member plays a critical role in day-to-day ranch operations. Jean serves as the ranch’s bookkeeper and office manager. Jody sells veterinary supplies and owns a business that processes and ships cattle. Prior to working full-time for the family ranch, he led a successful career for the Division of Florida Forestry for 16 years. The youngest son, Josh, manages the ranch full-time. In addition, he runs a cattle brokerage business and grows seed and hay.

Farley is an advocate for loving what you do.  His career has been dedicated to growing a successful business with hopes that his sons desire to take it over.  His only request for his sons is to be happy with the path they choose. Farley firmly believes happiness is key to a long-term career and one that you won’t want to retire from.

These days, he enjoys saddling up to work alongside not only his sons, but also his grandchildren.  The bond they share is so special and Farley desires to teach them about cattle, life and even Farm Bureau.

Farley has been an active member of Florida Farm Bureau throughout his career.  He has served on the Clay County Farm Bureau Board of Directors as well as the Florida Cattleman’s Association and the Clay County Cattleman’s Association Board of Directors.  From advocating with local members to helping to volunteer at the county fair, he cares deeply about the organizations that have given so much to his family.

Florida Farm Bureau has been Farley’s lifeline, especially when times have been hard. He is grateful for the leadership given from Farm Bureau leaders at the local, state and federal levels.  He and his sons have spent time advocating for Farm Bureau policy and issues impacting their livelihood.  Farley also recognizes the strength in grassroots efforts to protect the rural way of life.

Farley has spent his career dedicated to caring for the land.  He believes in taking care of local natural resources since they offer so much to his cattle, hay and timber business.  Farley is intentional about his impact on the environment and was recognized in 2017 for his efforts by Florida Farm Bureau’s County Alliance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship (CARES) program.  Farley believes if you take care of the land and its resources, it will take care of you.

The COVID-19 pandemic taught him that without family, your business can go awry quickly.  As a seasoned cattle rancher, Farley has learned many lessons throughout the years and offers advice to those around him.

To Farley, resilience means being able to exist in agriculture and handling the highs and lows, the valleys with the mountains.  He believes if you love something enough, you should always be tough enough to overcome adversity. Although not every day on the ranch is easy and the market is unpredictable, remain rooted in appreciation when good times are plentiful.  Farley most important thought to remember is that it’s all about loving what you do and who you do it for. For him, it’s all about family.

April 2022 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

The UF/IFAS NFREC – Suwannee Valley hosted a free event on March 29, 2022 on fertilization strategies and pasture management. The group toured cool season plots and saw four varieties of bahiagrass while hearing from Columbia County Extension Agent Paulette Tomlinson and  Professor of Forage Breeding and Genetics, Dr. Ann Blount.

Following the tour, the group participated in a roundtable discussion, topics included: soil testing, establishing pastures, types of forages and testing hay, grazing management, pasture weeds and insects and managing fertilizer use with the rising costs.

April 2022 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

John Dooner
YF&R State Leadership Group, District 2

Born and raised in Gadsden County, 7^th generation Floridian, John Dooner, does not recall a time in his life when he was not exposed to growing, managing or deriving something from the land.

Dooner hails from a long-line of agriculturalists. His maternal grandfather and great-grandfather, both whom he never met, were shade tobacco growers, a crop that once influenced the entire community of Gadsden County. His great-grandparents moved to Florida from Savannah, Ga., and made a living in the turpentine business.

Dooner’s father, Michael, started the family’s timber consulting firm, Southern Forestry Consultants, in the 1980s. Today, the father and son team manage roughly 2 million acres in Northwest Florida, Southwest Georgia and Northeast Alabama.

“As long as I can remember, I’ve been walking the woods with my dad, and it’s really what instilled the passion in me to generate something from the land,” he said. The Dooners’ have a highly diverse client base. Historically, their focus has been the “non-industrial private landowner” and the properties they manage range anywhere from 40 to 10,000 acres.

Dooner explained that forestry consultants assist their clients with balancing multiple land management objectives. “We are typically growing a crop of timber on behalf of the landowner and representing, them or acting as their agent, when they are ready to sell the timber,” he said.

He explained that while frequently, landowners want to generate revenue from their crop, others like to use their land for recreational purposes like fishing or hunting or enjoy the ecological benefits such as conserving wildlife and unique species.

“It is very rare that we are focusing on one objective at a time,” he said. “It requires us to be true foresters and put our skill set to use.” Dooner said that while farming for other landowners is his daily employment, he and his family also run their own timber operation.

Farm Bureau leadership runs in the family and he grew up learning about Florida Farm Bureau from his father’s involvement. Michael Dooner is a member of the Gadsden County Farm Bureau (GCFB) Board of Directors as well as a member of the FFB State Board of Directors, currently serving as treasurer.

John serves on the GCFB Board of Directors, serves as chair of the GCFB Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee and serves as the District 2 Leadership Chair on the State YF&R Group. He is excited about his role as chair of the GCFB YF&R, explaining that his goal is to make it a more sustainable and effective group.

Dooner enjoys traveling and history and is particularly fond of his Gadsden County heritage. Every year, the GCFB holds an event in conjunction with Farm City-Week at the Shade Tobacco Museum in Havana.

GCFB members and former shade tobacco growers and their families gather for a meal and to bring awareness to the necessary partnerships between urban and rural residents while paying homage and telling stories about the county’s rich shade tobacco history. Local county officials, media and law enforcement are also invited to the event.

“Our heritage is shade tobacco,” he said. “It is a very unique crop that was only grown in three Florida counties, Gadsden being the focal point of production. It’s unique because it was grown under cheese cloth shade, producing a higher quality leaf, which was used to wrap out portions of Cuban cigars.”

The livelihood of the entire Gadsden County community from the growers to supporting industries like grocers, clothing and hardware stores depended on the shade tobacco crop from the late 1800s to the 1960s.

Dooner explained that the county’s rolling topography limited the variety of crops farmers could grow. “The attractive thing about shade tobacco was that it was so valuable on just a ten acre field,” he said. “You could generate enough revenue to make it a feasible operation and in its hay day it was worth more than gold.”

Unfortunately, the development of synthetic wrapper in the 1970s and the inability to compete with cheap and available labor in Central America coupled with the arrival of diseases quickly eradicated the industry.

Dooner stated that it was a tough time for the entire community as producers and business owners were left to start from scratch. Most of the producers pivoted their operations to ornamental nursery, tomatoes and timber.

As an active member of FFB’s YF&R program, Dooner works daily to bridge the gap between  urban and agricultural communities. One way he does this is through the use of his social media channels. “I try to take opportunities to educate about agriculture and give examples of all the good things we do in Ag,” he said.

He is passionate about sharing agriculture’s story with the right people – people who don’t necessarily know or understand the many positive ecological and economic benefits of production agriculture. Dooner believes that the right communication can play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Florida agriculture.

“Farmers and ranchers have proven to be resilient throughout the course of time,” Dooner said. “I think outside of agriculture when I think about resilience. There is an enormous amount of pressure on our state’s resources as we continue to see thousands of people move to Florida every day.

The only way to deal with the unprecedented growth in our state is to recognize the benefits of our Ag land and put a value on them. The population boom is concerning, but I think we can put a positive spin on it and looks at it as an opportunity in agriculture to create value that has not historically existed. As the original stewards of the land, what is more compelling than that?”

April 2022 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter   

The sixth annual Feeding the Economy report, a historic farm-to-fork economic analysis revealing how these sectors influence the local and broader United States economies, has been published by 30 food and agriculture groups. Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s study highlights how the industries remained resilient to provide Americans with jobs, economic opportunity and safe food. 

This study sheds light for policymakers on how the food and agriculture sector not only feeds Americans, but also feeds the U.S. economy. The economic disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic has only served to further highlight the critical importance of the food and Ag industries. 

The economic impact study released today shows that 17.77% of the nation’s economy and 29.14% of American jobs are linked to the food and agriculture sectors, either directly or indirectly. Additionally, the analysis broke down the food and agriculture sectors’ economic impact by state and congressional district. Here are the key findings for the State of Florida. 

“The food and agriculture sectors’ vital role in feeding Americans is well known, but less talked about is their incredible impact in growing the nation’s economy,” said Florida Farm Bureau President Jeb S. Smith. “The Feeding the Economy report allows us to quantify agriculture’s role in supporting the U.S. economy and better understand how we can continue to promote those contributions.” 

To measure the total economic impact of the sectors, the analysis also includes the direct and indirect economic activity surrounding these industries, capturing both upstream and downstream activity. For example, when a farm equipment retailer hires new employees because farmers are buying more tractors, experts consider the new salaries an indirect impact. Similarly, when a retail associate spends her paycheck, an induced economic impact occurs. Together, these have a multiplier effect on the already formidable direct impact of food and agriculture. 

The full analysis underscores the importance the food and agriculture industries have on jobs, wages, exports, and taxes in our nation. The data provided includes the indirect and induced economic activity surrounding these industries. 

Visit www.FeedingTheEconomy.com to view the entire report. 

Sponsoring Organizations include: American Bakers Association, American Beverage Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, American Feed Industry Association, American Soybean Association, Association of Equipment Manufacturers, BIO, Corn Refiners Association, CropLife America, FMI – The Food Industry Association, Global Cold Chain Alliance, Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils, International Dairy Foods Association, International Fresh Produce Association, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA), National Corn Growers Association, National Grain and Feed Association, National Milk Producers Federation, National Oilseed Processors Association, National Pork Producers Council, National Restaurant Association, NCA – The National Confectioners Association, North American Meat Institute, Peanut and Tree Nut Processors Assn (PTNPA), SNAC International, The Fertilizer Institute, The Sugar Association Inc., U.S. Dairy Export Council, U.S. Grains Council 

April 2022 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter   

The Volusia County Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R)  Committee hosted their inaugural Taste of Volusia event on March 10 at the Volusia County Fairgrounds. 

“The whole purpose of this event was to highlight Volusia County agriculture and the commodities we produce,” said Dallas Hull, Volusia County YF&R Committee Chair. “This was our way to give back to our community and get Farm Bureau’s name out there.” 

More than 20 farms, ranches and partners showcased services ranging from fresh produce, locally made honey, U-Pick farms and more. Raffle tickets were sold and prizes were donated by local partners. To top the evening off, live music was provided by Orange City Councilman Reed Foley.

The group was awarded a grant through the Florida Farm Bureau County Action Partnership (CAP) Program. The CAP Program was created to provide financial assistance for county Farm Bureaus interested in implementing projects of significant importance to Florida agriculture. 

Tickets were sold in advance and could be purchased at the door. All proceeds from this event went towards the group’s continued efforts to educate their community about agriculture through various educational projects. 

“I’ve already had eight or nine new farms that want to join next year several from this year that want to come back,” said Hull. “We wanted to make this event fun and show what Farm Bureau can do in our community.” 

For more photos from the Taste of Volusia, visit https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzFRz7. 

April 2022 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter   

UF/IFAS assistant agronomy professor Zachary Brym leads a new initiative to promote a better understanding of hemp production.  Host of the UF/IFAS Perspective from the Hemp Industry blog series, Brym hopes to shed light on the benefits of hemp production and the diverse uses of the harvested product.  Growers, breeders and even physicians are just a few of the guests featured in the blog series.   

Read the latest blog: Hemp Perspectives – UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center

April 2022 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter   

Florida citrus and fruit growers wishing to apply for crop insurance coverage for the 2022 crop year should do so by April 15, 2022.  

Coverage is available for avocado trees and mango trees in Miami-Dade County; carambola trees in Lee and Miami-Dade counties; lemon trees in Collier, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Indian River, Martin, Polk, and St. Lucie counties; lime trees in Lee and Miami-Dade counties; and grapefruit trees, orange trees, and all other citrus trees (murcott, tangelo, and tangerine) in select Florida counties. Coverage is also available for grapefruit, mandarins, oranges, tangelos, tangerines, and tangors in select Florida counties; lemons in Collier, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Indian River, Martin, Polk, and St. Lucie counties; and limes in Lee and Miami-Dade counties.  

Growers are encouraged to visit their USDA Risk Management Agency crop insurance agent to see if their county is covered or for more information.